VISITING THE SICK

Yesterday Kevin and I went to visit at Cornell Medical Center on Manhattan's Uppper East Side. One of our church members had her son get into a terrible motorcycle accident  on the 59th street bridge this pas weekend. His entire left arm was very badly damaged with extensive bone injures. His mother summed it up best when she said his arm had "shattered." Ouch. He was very lucky to get out of such a terrible accident alive.  When we went last night, he had just been taken to the operating room for his 3rd operation in a week. I was told that they were going to remove part of a nerve in his leg so that they might graft in in his arm. In the accident one of his major arm nerves got cut and by all medical accounts his entire arm should be paralyzed--miraculously he is still somehow able to move it and retains some feeling. The physicians are unable to explain it but they are glad--as are we. Enilda (the mom) had a lot of things to tell us and I think that most of all she was just happy to have someone lend an ear. At one point the doctors felt they might have to amputate, though  that has so far been avoided. 

They really are in a lot of trouble and their case will need a lot of prayer. Enilda' son is a former marine who gave 8 years of service to his country--unfortunately like so many others in this economy, he has not been able to find a fulltime job and so far has been working part time. Like so many other part time workers--because his position is part time he does not have any benefits--meaning no medical insurance. The doctors have already approached his mother and told her the hospital is going to kick them out and that she should find somewhere else to put her son. She is scared to death of putting him in the VA due to the perceived low level of care in that institution. As of yesterday the bill for the first operation came in --and that procedure alone was $16,000. Enilda is a single woman barely making ends meet and her son of course is a part time worker. That's not even counting stuff like physical therapy and rehab he will have to undergo.  Before this whole ordeal is through they might very well end up in the poorhouse.  In this country three things can ruin you-- credit, becoming involved in a lawsuit, and getting seriously sick. As a person with legal training, after hearing the facts behind the accident I told her  she might have a case against the city--but told her to seek expert advice on this matter, and I definitely do not qualify as an expert. If nothing else perhaps she might be able to get enough money to pay the medical bills.

After our visit to the hospital was over we went to the church for a Chamber Group practice. The Chamber Singers had not been able to get together to practice for the past 2 weeks, so coming together once again and making music was a nice experience. We began work on a new piece yesterday--excerpts from Bach's Jesus Meine Freude. Like any Bach it is difficult, but when it comes together it will be beautiful. Can't wait for us to make that piece come alive, but of course half the fun of practice is the goofs, having a good natured laugh, and having fun discovering the piece and figuring out how it works.